


But Dad,

by ChickenXD



Category: Hatoful Kareshi | Hatoful Boyfriend
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Dating contract, M/M, Sugar Daddy, there will be sex and when it happens i'll change the rating to e
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-08
Updated: 2016-02-07
Packaged: 2018-05-12 13:14:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5667370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChickenXD/pseuds/ChickenXD
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I’ll get straight to it,” Sakuya said, “I want you to be my boyfriend.”</p><p>College au where Sakuya is somehow Ryouta's sugar daddy? Beautiful.<br/>Sorry Ryuuji you're not the daddy anymore</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Meet me in the art building’s Starbucks today, 6 PM.”

Kawara Ryouta froze for a second when he heard the request, or rather, order, whispered by his ear. 

He quickly turned around to see who it was, but nobody around him seemed to have spoken to him. Everyone was busy packing up and leaving the classroom – 

“Ryouta?”

He turned to Fujishiro Nageki, who was sitting next to him. Nageki, too, was packing his books, and he seemed to have noticed Ryouta’s confusion. 

“What’s wrong?”

“Ahh, it’s alright!” Ryouta said, “I just felt like someone was calling me, so I looked around, but it’s probably just my imagination.”

“Oh, Shirogane whispered something in your ear,” Nageki said, “Was it about something important?”

_...Shirogane?  _

_ Isn’t he the son of that really rich businessman? Did he really ask me to meet him? _

_ What for, though? _

 

Kawara Ryouta is a perfectly normal college student, living a perfectly normal life. 

Everyday he wakes up at eight, goes to all his classes, eats lunch at twelve, goes to his part-time job in the maid cafe every Monday and Friday from two to seven, or else he’d be taking more classes – he goes back to his dorm at eight to do his homework before going to bed at no later than one. And then the next morning, at eight, he’d wake up and do it all over again. 

Everything about the people around him were normal, too. His roommate, Nageki, was just a typical quiet college student – Ryouta liked that Nageki’s always clean and organized. His family was normal too – his relationship with his father wasn’t the best, thanks to a few issues, but that’s somewhat normal, isn’t it – who doesn’t fight with their parents every now and then?

Everything about Ryouta is normal – to the point it was boring, perhaps. 

 

“So he told you to meet him in Starbucks?”

Ryouta gave a nod as he bit down his burger. Nageki was sitting across from him, quietly sipping his milkshake – he’d finished his sandwich a while ago. 

“I guess there’s no harm in meeting him,” Nageki said, “I mean, since you guys are meeting in school grounds, he shouldn’t be able to do anything bad.”

“But why would he?” Ryouta asked, “I mean, we didn’t even talk for the whole last semester, and all of sudden he wants to meet me?”

“Probably trying to get you to join his club,” Nageki replied calmly, “He’s the leader of…”

“Orchestra, and I don’t play any instrument.”

Nageki fell silent this time, sipping more milkshake while flipping the pages of his novel. “Are you working today?”

“Tomorrow.”

“I can go to the meeting if you want,” Nageki offered – “Oh wait, Anghel asked me to help set up his club’s exhibition. I can’t go.”

“I’ll do fine,” Ryouta sighed, “Probably.”

“I’ll call the police if you don’t come back by eight.”

“...that’s very reassuring of you, Nageki.”

 

Think about it, this is the first time in quite a while that he would be doing anything outside of his schedule of eat, study, work, and sleep. 

Nageki, on the other hand, were involved with a handful of clubs, whether or not he was actually a member, so he was quite active even outside of class. Nageki may be a quiet person, but it seems like something about him drew people to get along with him. 

 

So Ryouta went to the rest of his classes – there were math and literature – and then he went to the art building at around five-thirty. 

He went to Starbucks, as he’d been asked to – there were a few students chilling there, some of them doing homework, and some of them just chatting, but it wasn’t crowded. Ryouta bought himself a muffin, and sat down on an empty table by the corner. 

He looked at the students there, but he didn’t recognize any of them as Shirogane.

_...maybe he’s just not here yet. _

_ But it’s really strange, isn’t it? I mean, I never talked with Shirogane either, and he just asked to see me out of the blue… _

_ I mean, I know who he is and what he looks like, since his dad’s famous. He has short light blue hair and eyes… and he has a brother too, right? But he wouldn’t know anything about me, since I’m just a normal student... _

_ Is he asking me for a favour? But I can’t really think of any way I can help him with anything… did he really not ask the wrong guy? _

_...anyway, let’s do some homework.  _

Ryouta had just taken out his notebooks when he saw the person in interest walking to him. 

Shirogane was dressed rather elegantly, compared to other students who just wore T-shirts and jeans – he was wearing a tight-fitted navy shirt and black dress pants. He also carried a black messenger back and a few thick books in his arms.

He seemed to have noticed Ryouta, so he bought himself a cup of tea and immediately sat down in front of him. 

“You’re Kawara?”

Ryouta gave a nod. “Kawara Ryouta.”

“Sakuya Le Bel Shirogane,” Sakuya quickly introduced himself while offering a hand – “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” Ryouta said, shaking Sakuya’s hand.

Upon closer look, Sakuya was nothing short of good-looking – his clear blue eyes were radiant, and his body was fit – he probably goes to the gym everyday. He also carried this air of nonchalance around him, as if trying to say that he’s different from all the people around him. 

Ryouta especially felt that too – it was awkward to sit here with Sakuya, who seemed much better than him. 

“So, uh…” Ryouta fidgeted a bit in his seat, “What do you need to see me for?”

“Nothing.”

Sakuya’s reply was short, cold, and to the point – but it was puzzling, at the same time.

“...eh?”

Sakuya calmly sipped a bit of his tea, and then put down the paper cup on the table. 

“I just thought you were pretty interesting,” Sakuya said, “So I thought I’d meet you and see what you’re really like.”

_ Interesting, me? _

“Ahaha…” Ryouta let out a sheepish laugh, “I’m just a typical college student, really. There’s nothing special about me.”

“Well, you are the son of the famous Dr. Kawara,” Sakuya stated, “And yet you decided to major in education.”

_...ah, so it is about father. This isn’t the first time. _

“I don’t really… get along with my father, you see,” Ryouta said, “I mean, he’s a great person, doing all this medicine research and stuff, but… I don’t want to be like that.”

Sakuya was silent as he sipped his tea. 

After a few minutes of silence, Ryouta took it as a prompt to explain a little more. 

“I mean, I’m not particularly interested in science, either,” he went on, “I thought being a teacher is more interesting, since I like being around kids. That’s probably strange, but yeah.”

“That’s perfectly fine,” Sakuya said, “In fact, I think it’s good you’re doing something you like.”

Ryouta couldn’t help but smile upon hearing that – he’d heard more than his share of people saying that he would be a great scientist like his dad, blah blah blah.

Silence took over again – Ryouta tried to think of something to talk about, but he couldn’t. He didn’t know Sakuya that well, after all, so what the hell should they be talking about anyway –

“...do you have a lover?”

Sakuya was the one to ask that question. 

_ Eh? Wait, is he… trying to ask me out? _

“Well, no, but…”

“But you’re…” Sakuya sighed, “Straight. I see.”

“No, that’s not what I…”

“Well, I thought you might be… different,” Sakuya sighed, “Since you work in a maid cafe and all that.”

“Wait, how do you know?”

“I asked Nageki about it,” Sakuya replied casually, “We take the same philosophy class.”

“But…” 

Well, how awkward. 

“But I’m… not straight,” Ryouta said, “I mean I… like girls, but I also don’t mind boys, so…”

“Have you ever had a boyfriend before?”

“No, but… I never had a girlfriend either.”

_ Whoop.  _

Ryouta froze for a second upon realizing what he had just said. However –

This information seemed to have sparked Sakuya’s interest – Ryouta could tell that much by looking at Sakuya’s eyes. 

But this felt like such an awkward situation now – Ryouta had never properly talked to Sakuya before, after all, and now he’d just openly admitted that he wasn’t straight. Such information isn’t usually given to strangers. 

“Well, anyway!” Ryouta hurriedly packed up his books, “I… should get going now! It was nice meeting…”

“Have you got any plans tonight?”

“Eh?” 

_ Is he… really asking me out? _

“If you’re not busy,” Sakuya said, “We can go eat somewhere nice. I’ll pay.”

Sakuya was staring at him intently now, and Ryouta found himself being very, very confused. 

_ What should I do? _

_ I mean… it’d be nice to go out and get free food, but… _

_...after all this? _

_ I don’t even know if there’s some ulterior motive in all this, and… _

“Is there any reason you can’t go?”

“N...no,” Ryouta admitted, “I’m… just very confused as to why all of this is happening. You sought me out all of sudden and suddenly asked if I have a lover, and now you’re asking me out to dinner, and…”

“I see nothing peculiar about the way I’ve done things.”

_ Ahhh, he’s persistent! I’ll get straight to it! _

“Why are you doing this?” Ryouta asked, “And why… why me?”

“As I’ve said before, I just thought you were pretty interesting.”

Sakuya’s answer was as straightforward and absolute as before. 

He was still staring at Ryouta – he seemed intent on asking Ryouta to dinner with him, and since Ryouta had told him there was no good reason for him to not go, it seemed like there was no way for him to get out of this now –

_ …ah, to hell with it.  _

_ I’ll get free food anyway.  _

 

Being the rich kid that he is, Sakuya, of course, owned a car. 

It was a shiny black Audi, and while Ryouta knew absolutely nothing about cars, the one Sakuya had seemed expensive. 

“Do you drive?”

Ryouta shook his head. “I live on campus, so I never really needed to… and besides, there are trains and buses to get around with.”

Sakuya put his bag in the back seat, so Ryouta decided to do the same and put his backpack there – not like he could sit with it at the front, anyway. Sakuya got into the driver’s seat, so Ryouta sat down next to him, and took out his phone to text Nageki.

“You like Italian food?”

“I eat just about anything.”

“There’s this pretty good shop near my apartment,” Sakuya suggested. “Let’s go there.”

“Sure, I guess…”

 

“I don’t think I’ll be back at eight, Nageki. Sakuya’s taking me out to eat.”

_ “What time?” _

 

“Do you know what time we’ll be back?”

“No,” Sakuya immediately replied, and Ryouta couldn’t help but be a little worried. 

“...you’re not trying to take me somewhere shady, right?”

“No, nothing like that,” Sakuya said, “But I really don’t know. It depends on you, I guess. What time do you think we’ll be done?”

_...wait, why does it depend on me? Like, how fast I eat? _

 

“...maybe nine?”

_ “I’ll wait.” _

 

They arrived at the restaurant about twenty minutes later, and Ryouta immediately felt… out of place.

It wasn’t a particularly big restaurant, but it was fancy – Ryouta would never dream of going to a place like that, since his father is a fan of cheap ramen and sushi stalls. Not like they were bad or unhealthy, after all – in fact, Ryouta never quite understood why some places were more expensive than the other. They have to pay higher rent and taxes, perhaps.

“Your brother isn’t here, Shirogane?” a waiter asked, “I see you brought a friend. Hello!”

Ryouta smiled sheepishly, “Hello.” 

He looked around the restaurant, where everything was decorated lavishly – there were a lot of paintings hanging by the wall, and there was some classical music playing in the background. Even standing here by the front door, Ryouta could smell the food – delicious!

Compared to the maid cafe where he works at, it was a completely different atmosphere. His workplace was pretty casual – after all, he has to be friendly to his customers as their ‘maid’. 

_ To think that Sakuya is a regular at a place this fancy… he really is filthy rich, huh? _

“Table for two, please.”

The waiter led them to a table by the window, and handed them their menu.

Ryouta looked at the first option in the entr é e, spaghetti marinara, and saw the price –

“Wait, this is like, ten times the price of spaghetti at –”

“Don’t yell,” Sakuya quickly warned, “And I’m the one paying. Just order something.”

“Well, I can’t make you pay this much for…”

“Just order something.”

Sakuya’s tone while saying that was like that of an order, absolute and cold. Ryouta had no choice but to look at the menu again – 

He decided to order ravioli, which wasn’t too expensive nor cheap, meanwhile Sakuya settled for the most expensive thing on the menu, something Ryouta couldn’t even understand from the dish description – Sakuya had probably ordered the same dish a thousand times, judging by how easily he made the decision.

Silence took over again as they waited for their food to come out. Sakuya was looking out of the window, at the busy streets around them, while Ryouta only shriveled in his seat, thinking about the situation he was in – 

Certainly an awkward one, but not that it was doing him any harm. 

“...thank you.”

_ Well, he did go through all this trouble to take me out to dinner and pay for the food… I should at least thank him. _

“That’s alright.”

“But still,” Ryouta said, “I… don’t know what you’re really trying to get from me.”

Sakuya turned to glance at him for a second before looking out again. 

“What do you mean?”

_ He’s not denying it… _ “I mean, there must’ve been a reason you called me and not anyone else.

“Does it have to do with me working in the maid cafe? You asked me about that, after all.”

“...not really.”

Sakuya turned to Ryouta now, a somewhat mischievous smile on his face. 

“I’ll get straight to it,” he said, “I want you to be my boyfriend.”

 

_...eh? _

“...boyfriend?”

“I won’t ask much,” Sakuya said, “You can go to your classes like normal, you can still live in the dorm, you don’t have to quit your job or anything – you just have to carry that status of being my ‘boyfriend’.”

“This… is sounding a bit more confusing than I expected?”

_ I mean, if I don’t have to do anything with him and just carry the title, then… that’s the same as being nothing to him, right? _

“No, it really is quite simple,” Sakuya said, “You can go on and live as normally as you would. I only ask that you call yourself my boyfriend – oh, and you have to obey my requests.”

“...this is starting to sound like Fifty Shades of Grey.”

“What?” Sakuya seemed flustered now, “No, I… I don’t mean it that way!”

Ryouta couldn’t help but giggle, seeing Sakuya be so flustered. He’d been composed and calm for the whole time, but now that Ryouta was mentioning something sexual, he immediately lost it.

“Fine,” Ryouta said with a smile, “I can try, I guess.”

_ As long as it doesn’t interfere with my usual life, maybe it won’t hurt.  _

_ He did mention requesting some things… but I guess doing a few favors for him won’t hurt every once in a while.  _

“Why exactly are you doing this, though?” Ryouta couldn’t help but ask, “I mean, it’s a pretty strange way to ask someone to be your boyfriend. We never talked much or anything, and you suddenly decide I’d make a good boyfriend.”

“I’ve said it many times,” Sakuya replied with a sigh, “I just thought you’re pretty interesting.”

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i present  
> sakazaki yuuya, the sexy and suave

Ryouta returned to the dorm to find Nageki sitting on his bed, reading a book, and another student trashed on the floor among a pile of papers.

“Oh, Anghel’s here.”

“Took you quite a while, to come home,” Nageki said as he glanced at the clock – nine-thirty three PM. “What did you guys do?”

“Oh, we just ate,” Ryouta lied as he put the leftovers in the fridge – “Nothing particularly interesting.”

_I’ll talk about Sakuya asking me out later… Maybe when Anghel isn’t here._

Ryouta turned to the student on the ground – he was lying on the floor, staring blankly at the ceiling.

“Are you looking for inspiration again, Anghel?”

“Oh, Textoris Melodia Funeris!” Anghel muttered weakly, “The day of judgement draws near, and I haven’t repented for my sins…!”

“He’s got a big project due tomorrow,” Nageki translated, “But seriously, Anghel, if you keep lying down and feeling like garbage, you won’t get it done.”

“But still, I…”

“If you need inspiration, go to the library or something,” Nageki suggested coldly, “Or go to youtube. Don’t come here. I’m just going to read and ignore you.”

“That’s cold, Nageki…”

“No, Textoris Melodia Funeris…” Anghel got up from the ground and slowly walked towards the door. “The Caller of Stars is right. I must… persevere, and pass through this judgement!”

That said, Anghel walked out of the door, and slammed it behind him.

Now it was just Ryouta and Nageki in the room. Nageki closed his book, and turned to Ryouta.

“Where did you eat?”

“In this… really fancy restaurant,” Ryouta replied, “It’s Italian.”

“What did you guys talk about?”

_...should I tell him?_

_I mean, I’m in a pretty weird situation where I don’t even understand why Sakuya is doing what he’s doing, and…_

“...you know, school.”

Nageki glanced at Ryouta for a second, as if judging him, and then turned back to reading his book.

“You’re not a good liar,” Nageki sighed, “You can just tell me it’s something awkward to talk about.”

Ryouta only sighed as he sat down on his bed.

He hadn’t always had to lie or hide anything from Nageki many times – Nageki pretty much knows what his issue with his family is, plus some other stuff – 

But somehow, it felt like this isn’t the time to tell Nageki yet.

“When I understand the situation I’m in better, I’ll explain to you.”

“Does it have to do with your dad?”

“Not really… he did come up in the conversation, though.”

“You should call him,” Nageki suggested, “See how he’s doing.”

“Why should I? He’s just gonna talk about Isa for five hours.” Ryouta stood up and walked to his dresser, “I’m going to shower.”

“I mean, especially if you’re getting a boyfriend, you should tell him.”

Ryouta could only sigh as he walked out.

_My god, is it that obvious?_

 

~•~

But that aside, everything was normal, as Sakuya had told him it would be.

Now that Ryouta thought about it, Sakuya didn’t even ask for his number. All of this was starting to seem a bit shady now that Ryouta thought about it, but he decided to not put too much thought into it –

After all, he still had his normal life, so what is there to worry about?

_Besides, Sakuya and I will still have the same English class together. We can at least meet at that time._

 

And so, everything went on as usual.

Ryouta woke up at eight, woke up Nageki, and took another shower. His first class starts at nine, so he would have to go downstairs to eat before heading there. Nageki’s class doesn’t start until ten, so he told Ryouta he’d go to his advisor first.

As Ryouta and Nageki headed downstairs to get some food from the cafe, he noticed –

A young man with light blue hair standing behind a column, watching them. Ryouta was especially sure of this, since the man didn’t budge even when they could hear someone shouting in the hallway.

He looked somewhat like Sakuya, only his hair was slightly longer and some strands were sticking out (seems like they were deliberately styled to stand up like that… don’t they have a word for it in anime? Ahoge?), and he was wearing yellow-framed sunglasses.

“Nageki,” Ryouta whispered, “Don’t look, but do you know that guy standing behind the column?”

Nageki turned his head to look at the column –

“Nageki!”

“What? There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Nageki said calmly, “And yeah, he’s Sakuya’s half-brother, Yuuya..”

“Half-brother?”

“I talked to him a few times, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

That said, Nageki walked towards the column, and Yuuya immediately noticed. Ryouta wanted to stop Nageki, but Yuuya already walked to them with a smile.

“Ah, you’re one of Sakuya’s friends, too, aren’t you?”

“I’m Fujishiro Nageki,” Nageki introduced himself, “Nice to meet you here, Yuuya.”

“Nice to meet you again, too!”

Upon closer look – the young man actually seemed pretty friendly. Ryouta could see how he could be Sakuya’s brother – half brother? – they share the same sharp eyes and facial features, after all.

“But you know, next time you shouldn’t stand behind the column and stalk someone like that,” Nageki said, as calm as ever – ”My friend here is a bit worried with your behaviour.”

“I’m sorry about that,” Yuuya said with a smile – he now turned to look at Ryouta, “So you’re Kawara Ryouta?”

Ryouta gave a nod. “Nice to meet you.”

“Sorry if I came across as… suspicious,” Yuuya said, followed by laughter. “My mum was texting me about Sakuya getting a boyfriend, and I thought, I had to see him for myself!”

“I thought you live with Sakuya,” Nageki said, “I mean, you guys don’t need to live separately.”

“Well, Sakuya doesn’t like living with me,” Yuuya said, “I guess he’s just disturbed with the amount of ladies I take home~”

Maybe claiming you have a lot of sex isn’t the best way to introduce yourself to someone who’s supposedly your brother’s boyfriend, Yuuya.

“Anyway, you seem like a nice boy,” Yuuya said cheerfully, “I’m glad Sakuya managed to court such a fine young man! I wish I could have a cute boyfriend too…”

 _Wait,_ Ryouta thought, _didn’t he just say he has a lot of girlfriends?_

“Ah, anyway! I should go to my class now,” Yuuya said while looking at his watch, “So, adieu, lovelies! See you soon!”

“See you soon.” “Bye!”

That said, Yuuya walked out of the building, and once he was outside, he was quickly approached by a few female students.

Nageki and Ryouta only stood there watching for a while – Nageki was the first one to leave to go to the cafeteria, though.

 _Maybe it’s not something I need to worry about for now,_ Ryouta thought.

_I’ll be fine. Sakuya told me everything would remain normal, too…_

~•~

The first sign of abnormality that day had come where Ryouta expected it the least – his workplace.

He was just walking out of the kitchen when he spotted Sakuya and Yuuya seated in one of the tables, reading their menus.

“Ah, right, Sakuya, you’ve never been in a maid cafe before, yes? Do you know what to order?”

“Dad would be furious to find us in a place as undignified as this.”

“At you, but not at me!” Yuuya giggled as he looked around the cafe, “Since I’m not actually his son.”

 

_Should I go serve them?_

_I mean, Sakuya knows I work here, but… it’s kind of awkward to come up to him like everything’s fine… I’m his ‘boyfriend’, after all – whatever that means._

He suddenly heard the bell behind him, and rushed to take the tray of food to the designated table. He could see now that one of his coworkers were approaching Sakuya and Yuuya’s table –

“Here you go, master, nya!” Ryouta said with his falsetto while putting down the food, “What should I write on your omurice, nya?”

“Ahh, please draw a heart on it!” the customer requested, “So that I know Coolene truly loves me!”

“Of course Coolene loves her masters very much, nya!”

Ryouta took out a bottle of ketchup, and started drawing a heart and a cat on the omelette. a

“There it is, master! Please enjoy your food, nya!”

He turned around to run back to the kitchen, only to have one of his coworkers tap him by the shoulder.

“Hey, table five wants you to serve them,” she told him, “I’ll take over table twelve.”

_Table five? But that’s… Sakuya’s table._

Ryouta gave a nod nevertheless, and made his way to the table where Sakuya and Yuuya were sitting.

“Welcome back, master, nya!” Ryouta said his usual greeting, trying to sound casual –

_God, this reminds me of that one time dad came here to see me…_

“Hello there…” Yuuya glanced at Ryouta’s nametag, “Coolene, is it? We’d like to order!”

Meanwhile, Sakuya was staring intently at Ryouta, his face a mix of surprise, bewilderment, and amazement.

“What will it be, master, nya?”

“Wait, Kawara,” Sakuya cut in, “Why are you –”

_Oh shit._

_Nononono he can’t call me by that name for now. How should I –_

Before Ryouta could say anything, Yuuya had thrown his menu at Sakuya’s face and hit him in the face, almost knocking him over.

“Ah, sorry, my hand slipped,” Yuuya said sheepishly, “Two omurice, please, and… did you say you want strawberry cake, Sakuya?”

Sakuya didn’t answer as he was busy trying to get himself together.

“So two omurice, one strawberry cake, one apple pie, and…” Yuuya picked up the menu he’d thrown and flipped through the pages – “Ah, yes, the Sky Blue Sparkling Water and Sunset Tea, please.”

“Coming right up, master, nya!”

As Ryouta left the table, he could hear Yuuya’s words of wisdom –

“Sakuya, in a maid cafe, you don’t call the maids by their real name, okay?”

“But…”

 

The rest of it went normally. Ryouta served them their food – Sakuya strangely didn’t ask him to write anything, so he just drizzled the ketchup, while Yuuya asked him to draw a bird. It didn’t turn out as good as Ryouta had wanted it to be, but Yuuya seemed happy nevertheless.

Everything went normally, even until they left about forty minutes later. Ryouta still had some time before his shift ends, so he decided to help with entertaining customers instead –

 

When he got out of work an hour later, he saw Sakuya’s car parked outside, with Yuuya leaning on it, smoking a cigarette.

“Ryouta!” Yuuya called while waving his hands, “Over here!”

“Yuuya!”

Ryouta walked towards him with a smile. “I thought you guys had left?”

“Sakuya thought we should give you a ride back,” Yuuya said – he threw the cigarette on the ground and stepped on it. “I mean, not like we have anything else to do tonight.”

“You didn’t really need to…”

“It’s dangerous for you to go around the city alone at night,” Yuuya said, “How do you usually go home anyway?”

“I take the bus, so it’s somewhat safe…”

“Well, you’re right,” Yuuya sighed, “Not the safest, though. Next time, just ask your boyfriend to give you a ride.”

“It’s alright,” Ryouta replied.  “I don’t want to trouble Sakuya.”

_Yuuya is so kind to me…_

_Think about it, he also came to my dorm to see me this morning to see what kind of boyfriend I will be to Sakuya. He’s a really good person._

“Hop in,” Yuuya said as he opened the door to the passenger’s seat. “I’ll just sit in the back since I’m, you know, the third wheel.”

“Thanks, Yuuya.”

Ryouta got in to find Sakuya blasting some classical music from the radio – he immediately turned down the volume when Ryouta walked in, though.

“What kind of boyfriend are you, Sakuya?” Yuuya asked while getting in, “At least open the door for him, like a gentleman would!”

“Eh?” Sakuya turned to Ryouta, flustered, “I… I’m sorry, I didn’t notice…”

“It’s alright, Sakuya,” Ryouta said with a smile. “I mean, I can open the door by myself.”

They could hear Yuuya sigh at the back.

“Well, you’re lucky to have such a nice boyfriend, Sakuya,” Yuuya said, “But other people usually like it when their lovers pamper them, so keep that in mind, okay?”

“You’re an expert at these things, aren’t you, Yuuya?”

“Of course I am!” Yuuya placed a hand over his chest, “I’ve had way more experience than Sakuya, after all! So if you’re looking for some more excitement –”

“Don’t flirt with _my_ boyfriend, Yuuya.”

 

_...but think about it, Sakuya and Yuuya are a lot like blood brothers, although Nageki told me they’re not._

_I mean, Yuuya looks a lot like Sakuya, and while the way they behave is really different, their relationship is well, too..._

 

~•~

“So what was all that about?”

Ryouta had left the car now – now it was just Sakuya, who was driving, and Yuuya, now in the passenger’s street, eating a candy.

“You know, just wanted to see what he’s like,” Yuuya replied, “He seems nice.”

“Of course, I know how to judge people,” Sakuya said, a tone of arrogance in his voice –

But Yuuya knew, although Sakuya had said so – Sakuya was nothing compared to him when it comes to judging or reading others.

_That’s why I’m here, after all._

“But it was good to have me around, yeah?” Yuuya asked, “I really saved your ass in the maid cafe. You’re really not used to this stuff…”

“Come on, Yuuya,” Sakuya sighed, “You’re just worried because he’s Kawara Ryuuji’s son.”

Yuuya fell silent – denying that claim would mean he was lying.

_What good will it do to hide this from Sakuya, after all._

_I tried keeping him away from this, but maybe I have no other choice._

“Gotta make sure he doesn’t share his dad’s radical views.”

“Well, now you’ve seen he doesn’t.”

“Oh, Sakuya…” Yuuya shook his head with a smile. “There’s always more than meets the eye.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

Something Sakuya’s parents made him promise before he went to college was that he’d come home to visit them every month – this task wasn’t difficult, since the apartment he lives in is only an hour’s drive from the Le Bel mansion. Somehow, Yuuya doesn’t have this obligation, probably because Monsieur Le Bel doesn’t care enough about him – he never comes home unless specifically asked to by their mother. Yuuya and Le Bel have this mutual hatred for each other, after all. 

Today was one of those days – Sakuya had decided to go home today since the month was ending. 

“Welcome home, master.”

“Hello, Albert,” Sakuya greeted as Albert, the butler, opened the door, “How are mum and dad?”

“They’ve been fine, as usual,” Albert replied, “Still, your parents seem rather curious about your lover.”

_ Shit, I really shouldn’t have told mum.  _

“We have guests,” Albert told him, “I think you’d want to look good in front of them, master.”

“What, are they from the government or something?”

“One of them is Kawara Ryuuji,” Albert replied, and Sakuya could feel his heart skip a beat – “As for the other… I believe he goes by Isa Souma.”

_ Wait, I told mum two days ago, and they’re already… _

“I believe this meeting has nothing to do with you,” Albert said quickly, as if reading Sakuya’s mind. “But still, you’d want to look good in front of them.”

~•~

“Oh, Sakuya…” Yuuya shook his head with a smile. “There’s always more than meets the eye.”

“I know that better than everyone.”

“Not good enough,” Yuuya said while opening the car’s window – the warm air of summer flowed in. 

“Can I smoke, Sakuya? I swear I won’t let the smoke in your car.”

“No. The smell is hard to get rid of.”

“But you have this!” Yuuya pointed at the air freshener, “If it doesn’t work, I can find a stronger one for you.”

“No smoking.”

Sakuya’s tone was cold and forceful while saying that, so Yuuya could only sigh as he took another candy and popped it into his mouth. At least the taste of candy helps him forget his need for nicotine. 

“Anyway, why Ryouta?” Yuuya asked, “I mean, that other kid… Nageki? Also seems nice.”

“What do you not like about Kawara?”

“Which Kawara?”

Sakuya let out an angry grunt while Yuuya started laughing his ass off and did not stop for five minutes. 

“Alright, this is about as much as I’ll say,” Yuuya said, panting, “This whole business of you getting a boyfriend seems rather… politically motivated.”

Sakuya remained silent in face of this claim. 

_ As expected… Yuuya always knows what I’m up to. _

“Kawara Ryouta might not be the best choice if that’s the case,” Yuuya said, casual as always. “But you know, it’s been two days, so let’s see how it goes.”

~•~

It has been three weeks since that conversation with Yuuya happened, and now, Kawara Ryuuji is in his house. 

_ Things sure are escalating pretty quickly. _

Sakuya walked into the living room to find Le Bel and his mother sitting on one long couch, while a blue-haired man and a brown-haired man, both in lab coats, sat across them. The coffee table between them had a pot of tea and some cookies. 

Le Bel was the first one to notice him walking into the room – 

“Oh, it’s my son!” 

“It’s been a while, father,” Sakuya said while walking to him, and then gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Have you been lonely without me?”

“Of course! You have to play us a few songs before you leave, alright?” 

Le Bel gestured towards the two guests sitting across from him – “Dr. Kawara Ryuuji and Dr. Isa Souma, this is my youngest son, Sakuya.”

“It’s an honor to see the both of you,” Sakuya greeted with a smile.

“Well, we were just talking about you!” Ryuuji said cheerfully, while Isa remained silent – 

One thing Sakuya immediately noted was that Ryuuji looked a lot like Ryouta, except Ryouta’s eyes were a lot bigger. Ryuuji’s eyes were so small it looked like a thin line – Sakuya couldn’t help but wonder if he could actually see anything. They both have blue hair, although Ryuuji’s seem a bit darker and messier, and Ryuuji was a lot more well-built compared to Ryouta, who has a slim figure.

Now, Isa Souma he’d heard of a few times on TV, but he looked totally different from what Sakuya had envisioned. He was skinny and he looked frail next to Ryuuji; his skin was very pale – his purple eyes were clear and sharp, though, behind thick red-framed glasses. His hair was brown and long, but messy – he had tied it into a ponytail with a purple ribbon. 

Isa was staring at Sakuya intently, as if examining him – this degree of attention made Sakuya feel a bit uncomfortable. 

“You know what, why don’t you go to your room first,” Sakuya’s mother said, “We have rather important things to discuss.”

“Yeah, it’d be kind of boring for you, I think,” Le Bel added. “And it’d been quite a long drive, yes? Go rest.”

“Yes, father.” Sakuya turned to the two guests, “Please excuse me, then.”

“It was nice meeting you, Sakuya!” Ryuuji said – 

As Sakuya left the room, he could still feel Isa’s intent stare following him. 

 

“...he looks a lot like you, Madame,” Isa remarked once Sakuya closed the door. 

“Does he?” Sakuya’s mother asked with a smile, “I get told that a lot.”

“My son’s got some good genes from his mother, you see!” Le Bel said proudly, “I’m happy Sakuya is very healthy!”

Isa turned to look at Le Bel now, “Healthy?”

“Isa,” Ryuuji cut in, “Let’s not be rude.”

Isa gave a nod, then sipped some of his tea.

“How many children do you have, Monsieur?” Ryuuji asked.

“I have six. Three sons, three daughters,” came the reply, “Each of my wives have two children, but… one of them isn’t really mine.”

_ Is it that Sakuya just now?  _ Isa thought, and noticed from Ryuuji’s expression that he was thinking the same. 

“It’s Sakuya’s brother, Sakazaki Yuuya,” Le Bel explained – his voice seem to carry a tone of disdain as he said that name. “He’s from Miyuki’s previous marriage.”

Ryuuji turned to Sakuya’s mother now – she seemed rather nervous. 

“May I ask what happened to your previous husband?”

“He… died of a sudden heart attack,” she replied, “Yuuya was still really young when it happened… I think he was two years old at most.”

“I’m so sorry for your loss, ma’am,” Ryuuji said, his tone somewhat more solemn. Sakuya’s mother only gave a sad smile as she looked down at her tea. 

“Anyway,” Le Bel continued, “The four kids are working now, and Yuuya is graduating next year, while Sakuya will graduate in… three years, I think?”

“That’s really fast!” Ryuuji said, “The house will feel pretty empty without them, huh?”

“It already feels empty when Sakuya went to college,” Le Bel said, “But Sakuya still visits us every now and then. He’s such a good boy.

“What about you, doctor?”

“Well, my only son, Ryouta, is around Sakuya’s age,” Ryuuji explained, “He doesn’t come home very much either, but it’s okay! I have Isa-kun to keep me company, after all!”

“Oh, I think Sakuya and Ryouta are dating!” Sakuya’s mother say, “Sakuya hasn’t told me much, but have Ryouta told you anything?”

By the time she finished her sentence, Ryuuji and Isa were staring at her, their eyes as big as a petri dish. 

“Eh?” “What did you just say?”

~•~

Ryouta was reading a book when his phone suddenly rang. He immediately picked it up – 

“Hello?” 

“Look,” Isa’s voice came from the other side, filled with anger, “You should at least tell your father that you’re dating someone.”

_ Ehhhhh? _

“Wait, Isa, how do you know?”

“Before I answer that, I have some things I need to ask you, young man,” Isa continued, “How long has this been going on?”

“Uh… a few weeks? I don’t really remember…”

“How can you not tell your father that you’re getting a boyfriend? Or even me, or your mother? Do you know how –”

Although Isa is just a housemate to Ryouta, sometimes Ryouta felt like he was a lot fussier than his mum, even for unreasonable things. 

Does this count as reasonable or unreasonable, though?

_ God, who knows.  _

“Yes, I know how worried dad is about me, blah blah blah.” Ryouta started massaging his phone head – this is going to be a long phone call. “But yes, there you have it. I am dating someone, it’s been going on for a few weeks.”

“Why did you not tell Kawara-sensei?”

“Why would he care?” Ryouta asked, “I can date whoever I want.”

“At least tell us, won’t you?” Isa asked, “I mean, I believe Sakuya is treating you well, but in case anything happens…”

“Dad doesn’t give a shit about me.”

“Now, Ryouta –”

“I know you can’t stand anyone talking shit about my dad, Isa,” Ryouta said, “But let’s be real – you’re the one calling me, not him.

“I mean, he won’t really care unless I jump off a cliff or something.”

Silence took over for a minute. 

Ryouta felt somewhat bad now for saying something so negative – Isa was just trying to tell him not to be rude about his father, after all, and Ryouta lashed out at him – 

“Look, Isa, I’m…”

“Ryouta!”

The voice coming from the other side was completely different this time.

“Ryouta! How could you get a boyfriend and not tell me!” Ryuuji yelled, “I was… I was so worried!”

“...dad.”

“But Ryouta is big now! Ryouta is still Papa’s son, but… but now Papa, too, must accept that Ryouta will one day belong to another man, and…!”

“They’re not getting married,” Ryouta could hear Isa say in the background. “...yet.”

“How did you know about this anyway, dad?”

“No!! Please call me Papa!” Ryuuji whined, “You may be all big and grown up now, but… at least let me hold onto the memory of my baby Ryouta, calling me, ‘Papa, papa’...”

“Get Isa to do that for you, dad.”

“Anyway,” Ryuuji said with a sigh, “How long have you been dating him?”

“A few weeks.”

“He’s treating you well, isn’t he? He’s not beating you up or anything, right?”

“No,” Ryouta replied, “Not at all. Why did you even think that?”

“I don’t know,” Ryuuji sighed, “I just get the impression that… how should I put this, Isa-kun?

“I just get a feeling he’s not very serious about this.”

“Oh, come on, dad, you’re too suspicious of others.”

Although Ryouta had said that, Sakuya hadn’t contacted him ever since they met at the maid cafe, so Ryuuji had a point. 

Not that Ryouta was too concerned about the lack of interaction.

“Sometimes that’s a good thing,” Ryuuji said, “Being too suspicious.”

_ You’re a very suspicious person yourself, _ Ryouta thought.  _ Maybe that’s why you’re suspicious of others as well? _

“How did you find out about this anyway?”

“Oh, I just went to see his parents,” Ryuuji explained, “Trying to get some sponsors as usual. I did get it, though, so I guess you’ll be seeing a lot of him and his parents!”

_...is that a good thing? _

~•~

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and here we have  
> the family issue

“So how is it going between you and your boyfriend?”

“Alright, I guess,” Sakuya replied. 

He was sitting with his mother and Le Bel in the living room – Ryuuji and Isa had left about thirty minutes ago. 

Sakuya was still uncomfortable with the way Isa looked at him, though – as if Isa was bent on knowing something about Sakuya. 

_...well, not that there’s much to find out about me. _

“Is he nice?” his mother asked, “Do you guys meet a lot, and all that stuff?”

_ Not really, I haven’t even talked to him in this past two weeks. _

“Well, we meet a lot, but we don’t really go out much or do anything special,” Sakuya replied, “Ryouta is pretty busy. He’s got a part-time job, too, so he doesn’t have much time to invest in me…

“But it’s fine. I mean, I’m busy with school and stuff, so we don’t get in each other’s way.”

Le Bel nodded approvingly. 

“Good thinking, Sakuya,” he said, “Even when you have relationships, you have to prioritize and remember what comes first, alright?”

Sakuya nodded solemnly, “Yes, father.”

“But his father seems nice,” Sakuya’s mother chimed in, “I think this Ryouta would be a good boy.”

“Perhaps.” Le Bel sighed, “He’d have to prove himself worthy of marrying Sakuya, though. I have very high standards…”

“...father, we’ve only been dating for a month at most. We’re not getting married anytime soon.”

_ Besides, I’m the one getting married, so whoever will be my spouse should follow my standards instead, yes? _

“By the way, do you meet with Yuuya a lot?” Sakuya’s mother asked, concerned, “It’s been a while since he came home.”

“He’s probably too busy dating or doing internships,” Sakuya replied – he glanced at Le Bel, who had furrowed his brow disapprovingly. “We run into each other sometimes.”

“The next time you see him, tell him to come home, yeah?” she continued, “He hasn’t been answering my calls…”

“He probably just doesn’t care about this family,” Le Bel interjected angrily. 

“That ungrateful child. I adopted him into this family and treated him as one of my own, and this is how he repays me?

“No need to ask him to come home, Sakuya,” Le Bel ordered sternly, “He’s not welcome here.”

~•~

Sakuya could still remember that day, when he was in high school. 

His mother had took him and Sakuya into a park, and the three of them sat together by the lake. 

“Sakuya, Yuuya,” she said while looking down at the ground – “I… have lied to the two of you.”

“Mother?” “What do you mean?”

“The two of you…” She looked up at them timidly, and then looked away again, avoiding eye contact. She opened her mouth, about to say something, and then closed it again and drew a deep breath. 

It was as if what she was going to say was a curse that should never be revealed. 

 

“You’re… not Monsieur Le Bel’s son, Sakuya. 

“You, like Yuuya, are the sons of my previous husband, Mr. Sakazaki.”

 

Sakuya remembered how his mind had gone blank upon hearing that. 

His mother started crying –she tried wiping away her tears at first, but it gradually increased into sobs. She buried her face in her palms – Sakuya remembered the cracked voices she made as she cried. 

“I’m sorry,” she cried, “I… I’m such a terrible mother.”

 

“That’s a lie…”

It felt as if the foundation upon which Sakuya’s world was built on had crumbled. 

For all his life, he’d always been taught to be proud of his heritage – to be proud that he is of the Le Bel bloodline. 

That everyone else are merely mongrels that should not be pitied, but be trampled on, because they are not worthy.

Yuuya, too, is not part of the Le Bel family – he is merely an outsider that the Le Bel family had decided to care for. 

But now, he’d lost his identity and his pride. The foundation upon which his world was built had been taken away. 

For he is not a Le Bel – he is just another mongrel. 

The appropriate way to react was perhaps to deny this heart-breaking truth. 

 

But the truth can’t be changed, can it now?

 

“Mother, that… can’t be true.”

“It’s true,” she sobbed, “When… when I married Monsieur Le Bel, I was already pregnant with you, Sakuya. I just hid it from him because I knew he would try to kill you, who is not part of the Le Bel bloodline –

“But still, I had sex with him, so it seemed possible that he was your father. He never suspected that you were not his son –”

She turned to Yuuya, “You… you probably don’t remember this either, Yuuya. You were too young back then…”

“Then…” 

Sakuya stood up and grabbed his mother’s shoulders. 

“Then my real father… is dead?”

She nodded. 

“Le Bel killed him in order to marry me,” she cried, “He… Sakazaki… to Le Bel, he was just another outsider who took me from him. I…”

“Mother.”

Yuuya gently pushed Sakuya aside, and held their mother tight in his arms. 

She continued crying for a while – she buried her face into Yuuya’s shoulder while repeatedly muttering, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…”

“It’s not your fault, mother,” Yuuya said, trying to console her. “It’s that bastard’s fault. Don’t apologize to us.

“But I’m glad you told us, mother,” he went on – “The truth will always be revealed, and today you’ve told us…

“Thank you, mother.”

~•~

Sakuya never spoke a word of what he saw that day. 

Yuuya never spoke a word of it either, but ever since that day, somehow… 

Perhaps it was just Sakuya’s feelings, but he felt like Yuuya had kept his distance from Le Bel. 

Not that they ever actually got along, but Sakuya felt as if Yuuya’s dislike for Le Bel had only gotten stronger. 

_ Ever since I was young, I’d always been told that Yuuya is an outsider… _

_ Perhaps, if he knew that I, too, am not his son, he’d treat me like he’d always been treating Yuuya. _

 

_ Yuuya is really strong. _

_ Even after all this time, he doesn’t hate me for having the things I don’t deserve, nor is he angry at our fate. _

 

“Remember, Sakuya,” Yuuya had told him that day, “Who you are is not defined by your bloodline.

“You are yourself. Never let anyone tie you down.”

~•~

“I’ll come again next month, mother.”

“Be careful on the way, alright?”

Sakuya’s mother patted his shoulder a few times, then he leaned over and kissed her cheek. 

“I’ll tell Yuuya you’re worried about him,” Sakuya said, “But as far as I know, he’s doing alright. He’s probably too busy dating.”

“Even if he doesn’t want to go home, at least tell him to call me, alright?”

“I will.”

  
  
  



	5. Chapter 5

Something rather strange happened today. 

Ryouta and Nageki were just packing up after their English class when Sakuya suddenly walked over to them – well, it was obvious it was Ryouta whom he was interested in, as he was intensely looking at Ryouta. 

“Fujishiro.” Sakuya turned to Nageki, “Can I borrow Kawara for a bit?”

Ryouta turned to Sakuya, confused. “Ehh??” 

“Sure,” Nageki replied quickly, “He’s your boyfriend. You can do whatever you want with him.”

Ryouta turned to Nageki now, confused and annoyed, “Nageki, don’t talk as if I’m not your friend…”

“Well, you are, of course,” Nageki said with a shrug, “But you’re Sakuya’s boyfriend, first and foremost.”

“Nicely said, Fujishiro.” Sakuya grabbed Ryouta’s hand and dragged him away, “Let’s go, then.”

“Wait, wait!! I haven’t put my notebook into my bag!”

 

Sakuya had brought Ryouta to a restaurant next to the campus – Ryouta had been there a few times with Nageki, but Nageki didn’t like the food, so they didn’t go there often. 

“What’s the urgency, Sakuya?” Ryouta asked, “You haven’t talked to me in like, a month.”

“...nothing.”

Ryouta smiled as he inched closer, “It must be because you miss me, right?”

Sakuya found himself rather baffled by this question – he never thought about Ryouta that much, but he’d be lying if he said he’d never thought about Ryouta. 

_ Think about it, I was rather angry when Yuuya seemed to be spying on him… _

“Ah, yeah,” Sakuya said, “Did… anyone follow you around?”

“Hmm?” Ryouta cocked his head to the side, “No, why?”

_ Ah… so Yuuya hasn’t been stalking him after all. That’s good.  _

“Nothing,” Sakuya replied, “Are you going to work today?”

“I only work Monday and Friday.”

Sakuya nodded, pleased with the information. A waitress came to their table with their drinks – Ryouta had ordered some apple tea, while Sakuya had ordered some fancy non-alcoholic cocktail. 

“What did you call me here for?” Ryouta asked, “Are we going on a date?”

Sakuya hadn’t contacted him for a month now, so Ryouta had taken this meeting as a sign that something special would be happening. 

“I just want to ask you a few things,” Sakuya said – he sipped some of his drink before turning back to Ryouta. 

“So I met your dad.”

_...ah.  _

“That’s why he called me…” Ryouta scratched the back of his head, “He was really worried that I got a boyfriend without telling him… although I won’t consider us real boyfriends.”

“What’s that supposed to mean, Kawara?” Sakuya asked, sounding a bit offended, “You  _ are  _ my boyfriend.”

Ryouta could only sigh upon hearing that. Sakuya is pushy...

“Well, you see… we say that about each other, but we haven’t really done anything that would solidify that status,” Ryouta said with a sigh, “But yes, what about my dad?”

“It’s not your dad I have an issue with,” Sakuya said, and he noticed a spark of surprise in Ryouta’s eyes – “It’s… the guy he was with.”

“Isa?”

Sakuya nodded. 

“Isa’s perfectly fine, I think,” Ryouta said calmly, “I mean, he can be a bit terrifying sometimes, but he’s nice.”

“Is he your father’s assistant?”

“Yeah, but he’s also a lot more than that,” Ryouta explained, “I mean, he lives with us. I don’t really know what happened to jis family, but I think my dad was his legal guardian at some point. After he turned eighteen, my dad insisted he still live with us.

“Not that I mind,” Ryouta said, playing with his straw. “He’s a lot older than me, but I feel like he’s my brother, sometimes.”

“...he’s creepy,” Sakuya remarked, “He was… staring at me really intently when I saw him.”

Remembering Isa’s intent stare , trailing Sakuya as he walked out of the living room that day, made him shudder. 

“That’s strange,” Ryouta said, “If he’d spotted anything suspicious, he’d tell me, but he didn’t…

“You don’t wanna make Isa mad, though,” Ryouta said sheepishly, “I once came home late after a school festival, and he looked like he was going to cook me.”

_ H… how terrifying! _

“Isa cares about my dad a lot,” Ryouta said with a fond, but bitter smile. “Maybe more than I care about him.”

“What makes you say so?”

“Well, we’ve lived together for fifteen years now, and I’ve never seen him stand more than five foot away from my dad,” Ryouta explained. “Maybe because he was so young when my dad took him in… I heard they’d known each other before I was even born.”

“Does your mum not mind?”

“She treats Isa like her own sibling,” Ryouta replied, “And Isa helps her with chores, too, so it’s beneficial for both of them. Isa has been acting a lot like mum recently, though… maybe it’s just his motherly instincts?

“I mean, you have like, three mums, Sakuya. You know what it’s like.”

Sakuya sighed, “My mothers don’t get along well.”

“Oh, yeah, speaking of that,” Ryouta cut, “So which one is your mother, and which one is Yuuya’s?”

Ryouta noticed Sakuya’s body stiffened up a bit upon hearing the question – he looked up at Ryouta, surprised. 

_ Seems like I shouldn’t have asked... _

“Ah, well…” Ryouta gave a friendly smile, “You don’t have to answer me if you don’t want to.”

_...should I tell him now?  _

_ If I’m going to tell him… am I going to tell him the whole truth? What if he tells anyone else about it? _

_ Or should I just keep quiet for now, see how things unfold? _

_...maybe that’s best for now. Yuuya would agree with me, I think.  _

“I mean, it’s a rather… personal question,” Ryouta assured, “And… well, you call me your boyfriend, but we don’t really know each other that well, do we?”

“...I appreciate your understanding,” Sakuya said with a relieved sigh, “Sorry that I asked you about your family, but refused to talk about mine.”

“That’s fine,” Ryouta reassured with a smile. 

Another waitress came over with their food – spaghetti for Sakuya, and chicken sandwich for Ryouta. 

“By the way, are you busy tonight?”

“...not really,” Ryouta replied, “Why?”

“Let’s go somewhere,” Sakuya offered, “Hm… I’m not sure where yet, any ideas?”

 

“So it’s going to be like a date.”

Ryouta nodded excitedly while putting on a blue button-up shirt, then turned to Nageki. 

“Where do you think we should go?”

“I’m not really the right person to ask,” Nageki sighed, “My kind of date is going to Starbucks and reading in peace for an hour.”

“You already do that with Anghel,” Ryouta replied while combing his hair, “You guys pretty much sit at Starbucks every day, and you do your homework while he draws.”

“We’re not dating.”

The statement was short, clear-cut, and absolute – Ryouta knew better than arguing when Nageki talks like that. Not that Nageki is going to yell at him – he just throws a book at Ryouta to keep him quiet. 

“Be back before nine,” Nageki warned, “Text me if anything happens.”

 

Sakuya had just parked his car when he saw a familiar figure standing in front of the dorm entrance. Sakuya could only sigh as he got off the car and walked to that person –

– It was Yuuya, standing under a tree, smoking, as usual. 

“Why are you here?”

“Ahh, Sakuya, what a pleasure to meet you here!” Yuuya greeted cheerfully, “I’m just here to see Ryouta!”

“He’s  _ my _ boyfriend,” Sakuya said sternly, “I believe this is the 100000th time I’ve told you this.”

“Well, I have a few things I want to ask him…”

“That can wait,” Sakuya said, pushing him aside and walking into the dorm. 

“Ohh, Sakuya, are you being jealous?” Yuuya teased, “I am much hotter and sexier than you – you’re worried that I’m going to seduce your boyfriend, are you not?”

“I’m no less hot or sexy than you,” Sakuya corrected, “We share the same genes, after all.”

“Now that’s not true at all!” Yuuya said, “We do come from the same parents, however, genetic combinations are infinite –”

“Real talk, why are you here?” Sakuya sighed, “I’m trying to take Ryouta out on a date.”

Yuuya’s expression seem to have changed into a colder, more serious one upon hearing this. 

“Where to?”

“Unless he has somewhere else in mind, I’ll take him to Hachiman Park,” Sakuya replied, “Just walk around and… you know, look at the trees.”

“Why this, all of sudden?” Yuuya asked, “I thought you’re just going to use him as a pawn of sorts… for whatever you have in mind.”

“...that’s rude.”

Yuuya wasn’t wrong about what he said, but the way he’d put it sure made it sound like Sakuya was planning something bad –

– while Ryouta is just an innocent boy, suddenly involved in all of this, simply because Sakuya had dragged him in. 

“But I’m not wrong, am I, now?”

Sakuya saw Ryouta step out of the lift – he was wearing a light blue button-up shirt and jeans, and a brown coat. 

“Let me deal with this one, Yuuya,” Sakuya sighed. “Now why don’t you go home?”

“Ahh, is he here already?” Yuuya doused his cigarette at the top of a trashcan, “I don’t wanna be the third wheel, so I’ll go home.

“But be careful, Sakuya,” Yuuya warned, “Don’t get too close to the fire.”

~•~

“There you are.”

Ryouta smiled as he walked towards Sakuya, who was waiting by the front desk. 

“Have you eaten, Sakuya?” 

“I have. Have you?”

“Yeah.” Ryouta looked around the room – a few other students were glancing at them, curious. “So where are we going?”

“Hachiman Park,” Sakuya said as they began to walk out – “Just… walk around and look at trees.”

“Oh, my dad used to take me there every weekend,” Ryouta said, smiling at the memory. “Until he got too busy and stopped doing that… so my mum took me there sometimes.”

_...my dad, I mean… Le Bel never really takes me on walks. _

_ On weekends, we attend parties or concerts… which doesn’t allow us much time to talk, since he’s just talking with the other adults.  _

_ Although Kawara said he doesn’t get along with his father, they seem to have a better relationship than me and Le Bel.  _

“...do you like your father, Kawara?”

“Eh?” Ryouta turned to Sakuya, confused. “What is it, all of sudden?”

“You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to,” Sakuya sighed. “It’s a weird thing to ask, isn’t it?”

_ I mean, I don’t even know what my father was like… _

“He’s… how do I put it…” Ryouta sighed – he seemed to be thinking hard to find the right words. 

“Sometimes… I just feel like he doesn’t care about anything other than his work.

“I mean, he’s a researcher, so that’s a lot of work,” Ryouta sighed again, “But sometimes he doesn’t come home for weeks, or months… and when he does, he’s just back for a day. Looking back at those days now kind of makes me angry…

“But Isa keeps telling me dad really cares,” Ryouta continued, sounding a bit more optimistic now – “And… I guess there’s no reason for me to not believe that.”

They soon arrived at the car – Sakuya opened the door for Ryouta, applying some of the gentleman rules Yuuya had taught him. 

“Speaking of which, you’re not being stalked or anything, right?”

Ryouta looked around, trying to find his stalker. 

“No, I mean… every day,” Sakuya said, “You’re not being stalked or anything, yeah?”

“No…” Ryouta shook his head, “Why did you ask?”

“Um…”

_ Because I need to know how Yuuya knows more about you than I do… but I can’t say that.  _

“Just… wondering.”

Sakuya quietly wondered if Yuuya was still within a listening radius, and decided that the best way to get his “privacy” is to leave the area immediately, so he got into the car. 

“You’re a funny guy, Sakuya,” Ryouta said, a sincere smile on his face. “Please don’t send anyone to stalk me, though.”

 

They arrived at the park half an hour later – Sakuya parked his car at the allocated parking before they got off. 

The night was dark – it was a new moon sky, and clouds were scattered everywhere, so the stars could play hide and seek. 

It was pretty chilly out – there were a few people walking around, mostly old people, trying to get to their 10,000th step, maybe. If they had come earlier, there would be small kids running around. 

Ryouta had always liked this park, mostly because he had quite a lot of memories with his father in the park. They’d grown rather distant over the years, but coming to this park somewhat reminded Ryouta that his father does care about him. 

“Dad used to take me on the swings,” Ryouta said longingly, “And he’d push me and Isa so high I started screaming because I’m scared I can’t get down.”

“He sounds like a really kind man.”

“There are a lot of people who say he isn’t, but yeah.” 

“Sit here,” Sakuya asked once they got to an empty bench, “I’ll buy some drinks from the vending machine. What do you want?”

“Anything that’s not soda is fine.”

That said, Sakuya left, leaving Ryouta sitting alone by the bench. 

 

Sakuya came back five minutes later, carrying a can of tea and a bottle of apple juice. 

Ryouta was looking up at the stars, as if captivated by them. The dark night sky had made them shine even brighter, and most of the clouds were gone now. 

Sakuya sat down quietly, trying to be not interrupt Ryouta’s stargazing, but Ryouta immediately turned to look at him as soon as he sat. 

“The stars are so pretty, yeah?”

“Hmm.”

Sakuya looked up, too, as he opened his can of tea. 

Think about it, when was the last time he sat down quietly, calmly, with no reservations, and simply looked at the stars? 

Sakuya can’t remember now, but it felt so calming to be able to do that again. 

He and Ryouta kept looking up quietly. 

 

“Feels strange, doesn’t it?” 

Sakuya turned to Ryouta, confused. 

“We’re… attracted to those small lights,” Ryouta said, “They’re so small and insignificant when we see them from here, but we still think they’re pretty.”

“Maybe we just like shiny little things,” Sakuya concluded, “Just like how we like glitter and small crystals.”

Ryouta gave out a hearty laugh, “Sounds so simple when you put it that way.”

“Why do you think it is, then, Kawara?”

“My dad told me once,” Ryouta began, “That… dead people return their names to the sky.”

Sakuya felt like he’d heard something like that a long, long time ago, but couldn’t really remember it. 

“And?”

“And… well,” Ryouta chuckled, “We might be just… looking at our final destination.

“That was depressing, huh?”

Ryouta fell silent again, still looking at the stars. 

 

“...but this is nice.”

Sakuya circled his arm around Ryouta’s shoulder, pulling him closer. 

“You’re warm,” Sakuya remarked, “It’s somewhat nice to sit out here with you.” 

_...Even if I’m not supposed to… maybe it’d be nice to keep Kawara by my side. _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i truly tried with this chapter it was difficult  
> smut next chapter if i feel like writing it


	6. Chapter 6

It was ten o’clock at night when Yuuya suddenly heard his doorbell ring. 

_ Who is it? _ Yuuya wondered as he walked to the door,  _ It can’t be Sakuya – he never visits at this time, and he’d always text me first if he’s coming.  _

Yuuya peeked through the peephole in his door – just in case it’s a thief, although Yuuya doubted they would be so polite to ring the bell – 

 

Standing outside was a brown-haired man, wearing a black coat. 

 

“Isa Souma.”

Yuuya opened the door with a smile – he was holding a pocketknife in his left hand, hidden behind his back. Isa didn’t seem to notice this, though, and smiled at Yuuya. 

“Good evening, Mr. Sakazaki,” Isa greeted politely, “It seems that you know who I am.”

“Who doesn’t?” Yuuya said, faking a smile – “You appear on TV and the news a lot, after all… 

“But you’re never alone.”

Isa looked around them – there was nobody on the hallway, but they could hear some rock music coming from one of the apartments. 

“May I come in?”

 

Yuuya had placed his knife in his pocket – Isa never seemed to notice it, and in fact, seemed really unsuspecting as he sat down on Yuuya’s couch and looked around the apartment. 

Yuuya placed a can of soda in front of Isa, and then opened a can of beer for himself. A cigarette butt was still burning on the ashtray on the coffee table – 

“What are you here for, Isa Souma?” Yuuya asked, “I’m sure you have no business with me.”

“I don’t, indeed,” Isa replied calmly, “I just came to ask about your brother.”

“Which brother?”

“You know which one.”

Yuuya sipped a bit of his soda, letting silence hang uncomfortably in the air. 

“Did Kawara Ryuuji send you?” Yuuya asked, “I mean, you normally wouldn’t care about these things, yeah?”

“What do you mean? I think of Ryouta like my own brother,” Isa replied, “Think of this as a conversation between two very concerned big brothers.”

Yuuya was tempted to say Isa isn’t a big brother, just a housemate, but decided not to. Isa had been nice and civil so far, after all.

“Monsieur Le Bel met me and Kawara-sensei two weeks ago,” Isa began, “He’d like us to try our experimental treatment on him.”

“Go on.”

“As you know, his sickness is a genetic one,” Isa continued, “Theoretically, it should be passed on to all of his children. The oldest daughter of the Le Bel family started to show symptoms of these disease when she was about twenty years old, and all the other children seem to be showing symptoms around those age, too – 

“Except you and Sakuya, of course.”

“Hmm,” Yuuya tried to look calm – “Well, I’m not his son anyways. Sakuya is probably just late in showing his –”

“Mr. Sakazaki.”

Isa was glaring at Yuuya now, his purple eyes cold, yet hiding a fiery expression.

“I don’t know what the truth is,” Isa said, “But whatever it is, it won’t take long before it’s revealed.”

 

“Isa Souma.”

“...yes?”

“If,” Yuuya began, “Let’s just say… you know that Ryouta isn’t actually Kawara Ryuuji’s son – ”

“He is,” Isa cut, “I was there with Kawara-sensei in the waiting room when he was born.”

“Okay but… this is a hypothetical situation,” Yuuya emphasized, “But you know, put yourself in my shoes. You wouldn’t tell him, would you?”

“I would,” Isa replied coldly. “I can’t hide the truth from Kawara-sensei.”

“Simply because he saved your life years ago?”

Isa shook his head.

“Simply because I believe he should be the one to decide what to do with that knowledge.”

“Even if it results in him killing an innocent child?”

Isa seem to have stiffened up upon hearing the question.

 

_...this problem doesn’t even stem from the fact that Sakuya is dating Ryouta. _

_ This problem exists… because we have been hiding the truth.  _

 

“...rest assured, I will not tell your ‘father’,” Isa said as he stood up, “But… this is something you have to consider on your own, Mr. Sakazaki.”

Somehow, Yuuya felt no relief as Isa walked out of the door. 

 

“Wait.”

Isa stopped and looked back – Yuuya had followed him out of the apartment.

“Why are you doing this, if Kawara Ryuuji didn’t send you?”

“I told you why,” Isa said, “I’m doing this for Ryouta.”

“This isn’t a problem with him, though,” Yuuya sighed, “This is a problem between Sakuya and me, and Le Bel.”

“And Ryouta doesn’t need to be involved in it, does he now?”

 

~•~

“You have time tonight?”

Sakuya put down an envelope in front of Ryouta. Ryouta picked it up – it was sealed, so he couldn’t quite see what was inside, but whatever was inside felt hard and thin.

“What’s in here, Sakuya?”

“It’s a ticket. You can open it,” Sakuya replied, “Have you ever been to an opera?”

“Not really…”

Ryouta opened the envelope, and a piece of paper fell out. The ticket had said that the show would be… tonight, from eight until ten.

“I’ll come pick you up seven-thirty,” Sakuya said, straightforward and businesslike as usual. “Try to dress more formally, and bring a coat or something – it’ll be rather cold, I’m – ”

“Woah, this is so cool!” 

Ryouta picked up the ticket, carefully reading the text written on it. He seemed awfully excited – 

“The Legend of Faust! Nageki told me about it before!”

“...do you know what it’s about?”

“No, not really.”

Sakuya sighed. Well, considering that Ryouta comes from a rather scientific family… he probably has little knowledge about the arts.

_ But not to worry. I have a lot of books I can lend him, if he has time to read all of them –  _

“Is Yuuya coming with us?”

“No, he’ll probably just fall asleep halfway through the show,” Sakuya sighed, “He has little appreciation for arts.”

“What did you say?”

Yuuya leaned forward and grabbed Sakuya by the shoulder. Apparently, this surprised Sakuya – he let out a loud gasp, as if he’d been touched by a ghost. 

“You know, at least I’ve read the entirety of Les Miserables, unlike a certain someone here.”

“YUUYA!”

 

“Anyway~”

Yuuya sat down next to Ryouta, leaning over so that their faces were only inches apart from each other. Apparently Yuuya has no concept of personal space – 

Ryouta quickly moved back, trying to avoid their faces touching – his face still grew flustered.

“I have a few questions to ask you,” Yuuya said, “About a certain Isa Souma… if you don’t mind.”

“Ah, um, that’s… that’s alright, I guess?”

“Watch your behaviour, Sakazaki!” Sakuya grabbed his glass of juice, ready to throw it at Yuuya’s face, “That’s  _ MY _ boyfriend!”

“Sheesh, alright, how possessive…”

 

“But what about him?” Ryouta asked, “I mean, Isa is alright…”

“Isa seems rather fond of you, you know,” Yuuya said, sipping his coke, “I understand you’ve known him for… let’s just say quite a while.”

“...that’s correct.”

“What do you think of him?”

“Well, he’s… fine,” Ryouta replied, seemingly rather unnerved – “I mean, he borderline worships dad, but that aside, he’s perfectly fine.”

“I’ve met him before, you know,” Sakuya cut, remembering the one time he went home – “He’s… how should I put it…”

“Creepy?” Ryouta chuckled, “Well, he can be like that sometimes, but he’s usually nice.”

“Do you ever notice anything strange between your dad and him?”

Ryouta turned to Yuuya, who’d asked the question – he seemed rather puzzled.

“Not quite,” Ryouta replied, “I mean… I guess sometimes I feel like my dad pays more attention to him than me, but that’s not Isa’s fault – that’s dad’s.”

~•~

 

“What’s up with you today?”

“Nothing,” Yuuya replied, sipping some more coke. “What’s wrong with me coming to see my brother and his boyfriend?”

“And suddenly asking Kawara about all those things,” Sakuya sighed, “I mean, I get that Isa Souma is a rather terrifying person, but…”

“I’m starting to believe Isa Souma isn’t the problem,” Yuuya said, “Maybe Kawara Ryuuji is. We just don’t know enough yet.”

“Well, is there a need to know?”

“If you’re going to marry him, yes.”

“...Yuuya.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M TRYING...... this became a lot more convoluted and political than i had intended so..... yeah......


End file.
